Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed that Ukraine pulled out of peace talks with Moscow in March on an “order” from the US, the Kremlin mentioned Thursday.
“The textual content was prepared… After which abruptly the Ukrainian aspect went off the radar, the Ukrainian aspect declared its unwillingness to proceed negotiations,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov advised reporters, including that Putin thought of it “apparent” that the choice to cease talks “occurred on an order from Washington”.
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On Wednesday, Guinea-Bissau’s Umaro Sissoco Embalo, the present chief of the ECOWAS west African bloc, mentioned in Kyiv that Putin, whom he had visited earlier, had “expressed the concept he’s prepared for negotiations” with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Requested about these remarks, Peskov mentioned “we’re prepared to make sure our pursuits on the negotiating desk”.
“We would like this, however on this case we’re speaking a couple of full unwillingness on the a part of Ukraine,” he mentioned, including that there was “no particular message” for Kyiv.
Zelensky on Wednesday had rapidly dismissed any chance of talks with Moscow, denouncing Putin’s “deliberate rhetoric”.
In late September, Ukraine’s chief mentioned he wouldn’t negotiate with Russia so long as Putin was president.
Talks between Kyiv and Moscow have stalled since March, with either side blaming the opposite for the stalemate.